PROACTIVE Sports, the agents who represent Everton and England star Wayne Rooney, unveiled a name change and rising profits today.

Chief executive Neil Rodford said they intend to change the name of the Wilmslow-based business to Formation Group.

He also revealed a 33% improvement in turnover from #4.2m to #5.5m and profits of #210,000 compared with #94,000 last time, for the six months to February 29.

Mr Rodford said: "We're really pleased. These results increase the visibility to the outside world of the progress we have made."

He said Proactive represents 271 footballers, including former Everton target Sean Davies of Fulham, but added: "Obviously Wayne is our biggest client. He is the biggest name on the world stage," but he declined to comment on his ongoing contract negotiations with Everton.

The firm has four divisions: Sports marketing, wealth management, client representation, legal and professional services. Mr Rodford said they hoped to grow the legal side of the company.

Chairman John Lawrence said the broad spread was to provide a wide range of services to their increasing number of clients.

"We believe that we are very much on track towards achieving our aim of creating Europe's first business to provide sports clients (both athletes and corporate organisations) with a holistic service.

"Our client base has historically been predominantly football orientated. However, as our business has grown, so too has the range of our clients and we see this trend continuing," he added.

* SPORTSWEAR manufacturer Umbro, which is taking over the kit-making deal for Everton next season, announced plans to float on the stock exchange today.

It said it hoped to complete the process by June but would not say how much it intends to raise from issuing shares or what its market value is expected to be.

However, analysts put the group's value at approximately #200m.

Umbro said the flotation will provide an exit opportunity for private equity firm Doughty Hanson & Co which invested in the company in April 1999.